The sky above Katarthan was gray enough to darken the palace banners.
They hung lowered around the memorial court, their edges barely moving in the heavy morning air. Beneath them stood rows of empty uniforms belonging to the guards, servants, clerks, and healers killed during the attack.
There were few flowers.
Katarthan honored service with the objects the dead had once carried. Swords rested across the uniforms of fallen guards, with shields standing beside those who had defended the walls. Keys and ledgers marked the servants and officials who had secured doors, protected records, and hidden frightened guests. Medical tools had been placed before the names of healers who continued treating the wounded while the fighting spread through the palace.
The objects filled the court more completely than wreaths could have. They showed what each person had held before death forced them to put it down.
